The National Rifle Association claims [2] to speak for more than 4 million gun owners. But the shots are really called by a hush-hush group of 76 directors [3]. The majority are nominated via a top-down process and elected by a small fraction of NRA members. A breakdown of the current board, based on their official bios:

87 percent are men. 93 percent are white.
25 percent are current or former federal, state, or local lawmakers or officials.
22 percent are current or former law enforcement officers. 30 percent are current or former members of the military.
24 percent are lawyers.
12 percent are entertainers or athletes.
64 percent are hunters. 71 percent are sport or competitive shooters.
At least 71 percent were nominated, endorsed, or selected by the NRA's Nominating Committee.

Some notable members of the NRA's current board of directors:

Tom Selleck
The Magnum, P.I. star, gun buff [4], and vocal gun-rights supporter was the top vote-getter in 2008's board election. (Fellow '80s TV heartthrob Erik Estrada sought a seat on the NRA board in 2011 but eventually withdrew [5] his candidacy.)

Ted Nugent
At the NRA's 2012 annual conference, the Nuge [6] announced, "If Barack Obama becomes the next president in November again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year," prompting a meeting with the Secret Service [7].

Oliver North
"I love speaking out for the NRA in large part because it drives the left a little bit nuts," says [8] the Iran-Contra conspirator and Call of Duty pitchman [9].

Marion Hammer
The former NRA president helped craft and implement Florida's Stand Your Ground law [10], which provided a model for similar self-defense laws in 24 other states.

Karl Malone
"About the only thing I'd rather do than play basketball is hunt," says the retired NBA player in an recruitment ad [11] for the NRA.

Patricia Clark
A record-holding shooter, Clark has been on the board of directors since 1999 and is currently the head of the NRA's nominating committee, which helps pick the majority of board members. She lives in Newtown, Connecticut.

Robert K. Brown
The former Special Forces soldier and big-game hunter is the founder and publisher of Soldier of Fortune [12], which was sued in the late '80s for running want ads for mercenaries and guns for hire [13].

David Keene
The current NRA president is the former chairman of the American Conservative Union [14]. In 2003, his son was sentenced to 10 years in prison for firing at another driver during a road rage incident [15].

R. Lee "The Gunny" Ermey
Former Marine turned actor [16] is best known for his turn as a drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket (who is gunned down [17] by a suicidal recruit). He's also a spokesman for Glock [18].

Wayne A. Ross
In 2009, Sarah Palin nominated the former NRA vice president to be Alaska's attorney general, but lawmakers passed on him [19] after he was accused of making homophobic and sexist comments [20].

Roy Innis
The head of the Congress of Racial Equality, a civil rights organization now known as a climate-denying [21] astroturf outfit [22]. While representing the United States at a UN arms conference in 2001, Innis explained [23], "The Rwanda genocide would not have happened if the Tutsis had had even one or two pistols to fight back with."

Ronnie G. Barrett
Founder of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing [24] and inventor of the .50 sniper rifle, which can penetrate armor [25] from more than 4,500 feet and is legal for civilian purchase in 49 states [26].

Carl T. Rowan Jr.
Formerly a cop, FBI agent, and vice president for the private-security firm Securitas.* He is the son of columnist Carl Rowan Sr., who once caught a teenager swimming in his backyard pool and wounded him [27] with an unlicensed handgun.

Larry Craig
The former Idaho senator sponsored a 2005 law protecting gun makers [28] from liability in connection with their products being used by criminals. The NRA spent $1.8 million [29] on lobbying Congress that year.

Grover Norquist
The president of Americans for Tax Reform [30] is a NRA Life Member and member of the Fifty Caliber Shooters Association. After Newtown, he echoed the NRA's line [31]: "We have got to calm down and not take tragedies like this, crimes like this, and use them for political purposes."

More: See a complete list of current NRA board members [32].

* Correction: An earlier version incorrectly stated that Carl T. Rowan Jr. is currently employed by Securitas, based on his bio on the NRA site [33]. Securitas told Mother Jones that it no longer employs him.

Monday January 21, 2013, 12:00 pm
That's a pretty big board, isn't it? And the pattern is fairly obvious, too. Also a lot of men with dubious mental health issues which in and of itself cries out for stronger regulations. Lawrence O'Donnell called for Tom Selleck's resignation from this board as proof that he doesn't just play a good guy on tv, but actually is one. Apparently, Tom didn't hear the message.

Monday January 21, 2013, 9:33 pm
You're welcome John. This list did answer one question I'd had recently (whatever happened to Oliver North before Fox).
From Wikipedia for those who don't remember him:
North was a National Security Council staff member involved in the clandestine sale of weapons to Iran, which served to encourage the release of U.S. hostages from Lebanon. North formulated the second part of the plan: diverting proceeds from the arms sales to support the Contra rebel groups in Nicaragua (funding to the Contras had been prohibited under the Boland Amendment amidst widespread public opposition in the U.S. and controversies surrounding human rights abuses by the Contras).
You cannot currently send a star to John because you have done so within the last week.

Tuesday January 22, 2013, 3:19 pm
Well...didn't know that about Tom Selleck. But he does and all those listed do have a 2nd amendment right. Just saying. Except for Nugent. I'm not sure about that Neanderthals's rights.

Tuesday January 22, 2013, 4:12 pm
I couldn't help noting that David Keene's (President of the NRA) son was in prison for 10 years for road rage. I wonder if his father has the same road rage.
Tom Selleck, I'm totally disappointed in you as I was with Charlton Heston. I also wonder what Patricia Clarke must have felt living in Newtown, Connecticut.

Tuesday January 22, 2013, 9:15 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Winn because you have done so within the last week.
You cannot currently send a star to Marianne because you have done so within the last week.

Wednesday January 23, 2013, 1:24 pm
Phyllis P......even Ted Nugent has his civil rights. I do NOT condone his actions at all, but unlike him and his ilk, I do stand for the civil rights of each citizen...no matter how bat-s**t crazy.

Wednesday January 23, 2013, 2:44 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Jason because you have done so within the last week.
You cannot currently send a star to Claudia because you have done so within the last week.

Wednesday January 23, 2013, 3:11 pm
Thanks J.L. I recently read something that Thomas Jefferson wrote about the right to bear arms. I think he was fairly specific about a person (citizen) keeping arms (weapons) to protect themselves against the government, not sports or lust killing. Darn, Tom S. is off my good guy list too.

Saturday January 26, 2013, 2:02 pm
The fact that the NRA greatest success has been to fight gun control for over 20 yeas by shutting down Government research into gun violence something that is quite unbelievable. These people are being paid to make murder acceptable particularly when they are making it easier for murder to occur. The NRA claims to be a civil rights group in that it protects the second amendment but glosses over the fact it has strong links to the fire arms industry. In any other situation, this sort of strangling of research is utterly reprehensible. What these people need to realize is that guns are a public health issue and it is not a sinister plot by the government to take away their guns.

Thursday February 14, 2013, 10:29 pm
I'm very disappointed in Selleck after reading this, however I will reserve judgement in many ways. I've also read articles that say Selleck is little more than a "paid" endorser, and has little to say as to the NRA's stand on things. Maybe Selleck is a member for the same reason many people join organizations that they really don't give that much thought about, or are misguided as far as what that organization actually does. Many people join A/R groups, thinking that they will be saving animals. Often, it's the opposite and the organization only wants their money.

Tuesday March 12, 2013, 9:12 pm
Just let me live in my 'Magnum' fantasies and I'll be OK. I'll always love Tom Selleck no matter what he stands for. The Bible says 'judge not yet you be judged' because Jesus loves us no matter what our flaws are. And besides, I've been loving TS all my life and I'm not stopping now. But it is sad if he is on the board. That's his choice. TY JL.